David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament, Dies at 65
THE NEW YORK TIMES – He was a well-known journalist in his native Italy before going into politics, and devoted his tenure to making the Parliament more prominent.
The New York Times
Matina Stevis-Gridneff and Monika Pronczuk
Citizen Power Europe
Groupe d’Études Géopolitiques – In December 2021, two simultaneous events spoke radically differently on the conundrum of our age. The first, ‘The Summit for Democracy’. The other, the Conference on the Future of Europe.
Future of Europe: it’s not about Treaty change, it’s about European Democracy
REV DEM – Michal Matlak interviews Alberto Alemanno* in the aftermath of the publication of the first batch of recommendations coming from the Conference on the Future of Europe Citizens’ Panel. They discuss what representativeness – if any – this group of citizens has, how the recommendations are facilitated and drafted, and what impact this might have on the future of Europe.
Lobbying, citizen assemblies and political entrepreneurs: the tools for changemakers to shape policies
PIONEERS POST – Changemakers should not shy away from using powerful tools to influence politicians – starting with lobbying, attendees of the Ashoka Changemaker Summit heard this week. And they can start by talking to the new breed of “political entrepreneurs”, often young and focused on social impact, who are looking for solutions.
Media-savvy business professors look beyond the lecture hall
Financial Times – From YouTube and TV to podcasts, academics are building on the shift to online teaching
Interpol must change its practices to protect human rights
STATEWATCH – Civil society organisations, elected representatives and other prominent public figures are calling on Interpol to take steps to prevent the abuse of international policing databases and alert systems by authoritarian and dictatorial regimes. A resolution sent to the policing organisation a week before its 89th General Assembly calls for the protection of human rights by the full implementation of recommendations made by the Council of Europe and European Parliament. Statewatch is one of the signatories of the resolution.
Lo strano incontro di Matteo Renzi con la commissaria europea Vestager
DOMANI – Renzi incontra la vicepresidente della Commissione UE Margrethe Vestager per “discutere le sfide future dell’UE”
Poland’s defiance of EU law raises concern over a possible exit
CNBC – In the latest escalation of their dispute, Polish judges ruled, in a case brought by the country’s prime minister, that national law has primacy over European rules.
L’onda delle assemblee cittadine per cambiare la democrazia in Europa
L’ESPRESSO – Negli ultimi anni ne sono nate oltre 500, da Parigi a Madrid, dall’Islanda all’Irlanda. Convocate su temi diversi per ascoltare l’opinione degli elettori. Ma non sempre poi vengono ascoltate.
The State of the Union speech was a big missed opportunity for Ursula von der Leyen | View
EURONEWS – The annual State of the European Union address provides a unique chance for all EU residents to get a sense of their lives’ shared direction.
The end of Euro-bashing
POLITICO – Euroskeptic posturing might win politicians votes at home, but it’s increasingly costing them on the European stage.
The Good Lobby – Partecipazione Civica Per Influenzare La Politica Dal Basso.
Immagina per un attimo di poter dedicare una parte del tuo tempo a una questione
Polish media and opposition fight to save press freedom from state control
OPEN DEMOCRACY – Government’s controversial bill ‘would wipe out one of last institutions to hold authorities accountable’ and could lead to US sanctions.
El certificado covid se impone en el día a día de 21 países europeos
EL PAÍS – Con 300 millones expedidos en poco más de un mes, los salvoconductos se convierten en un requisito cotidiano. En Francia y Alemania crecen las protestas entre la población reacia al pinchazo.
El poderoso arsenal de Bruselas para frenar los asaltos de Hungría y Polonia al sistema democrático
EL PAÍS – Los gobiernos de Budapest y Varsovia se arriesgan a multas millonarias y coercitivas si persisten en incumplir las normas comunitarias.
Quelle stratégie dans la Conférence sur l’avenir de l’Europe ? Perspectives croisées de Manon Aubry et Sandro Gozi
LE GRAND CONTINENT – Deux députés européens de deux bords politiques opposés, Sandro Gozi (Renew) et Manon Aubry (LFI) exposent leurs positionnements et leurs stratégies dans un exercice européen d’un nouveau genre.
Citizen Deliberation in Light of an Insurrection
EU SCREAM – Alberto Alemanno discusses the Conference on the Future of Europe.
Rivoluzione copernicana | Ci sono (finalmente) le condizioni per la nascita di un vero spazio politico europeo
LINKIESTA – In coincidenza con la giornata dell’Europa, il 9 maggio 2021 si è aperta la Conferenza sul futuro dell’Europa. Intervista a Alberto Alemanno dall’Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa.
Releasing Europe’s democratic genie
SOCIAL EUROPE – The Conference on the Future of Europe might sow the seeds of a genuine European political space.
Coalition led by B Lab Europe calls for mandatory stakeholder governance across the EU
PIONEERS POST – A coalition of 60 companies led by B Lab Europe is calling for an EU-wide change in company law to make stakeholder governance mandatory in the bloc.
I governi indignati con Orbán lo spalleggiano da un decennio
EDITORIALE DOMANI – I governi europei usano parole infiammate per la legge anti Lgbt approvata in Ungheria e si accorgono delle derive illiberali di Orbán. Ma cosa facevano prima? Erano impegnati a perdonargli tutto, o quasi.
Pandemia katkaisi kansainvälisen elämäntavan, ja nyt tutkija pelkää, että paluuta ei ehkä ole
HELSINGIN SANOMAT – Professori Alberto Alemanno pitää liian pitkälle vietyjä rajatoimia uhkana vapaan liikkuvuuden tulevaisuudelle. Koronapassista on aikanaan vaikea luopua, hän ennustaa.
Lack of citizens at EU’s citizens’ debate raises eyebrows
THE. GUARDIAN – Analysis: legitimacy of Future of Europe talks called into question as only a quarter of citizens likely to take part
These sixteen countries are now using the EU’s COVID travel pass (EUDCC)
EURONEWS – Sixteen countries have begun using the EU’s ‘Digital COVID certificate’ (EUDCC) to enable their citizens to easily travel across the bloc.
Will the EU’s Covid travel pass save the summer or create chaos?
RFI – Trumpeted as a quick fix to the holiday travel dilemma, and eagerly awaited by Europe’s struggling tourism sector, the certificate is intended to allow rapid movement between EU states without additional quarantine or coronavirus tests. Critics say it’s a recipe for delays and confusion.
Il lobbying civico è la sola strada per salvare la nostra democrazia
DOMANI – In vista della pubblicazione in Italia il 9 giugno del suo libro The Good Lobby, il giurista Alberto Alemanno spiega perché il diffondersi di lobby civiche è una leva cruciale in un contesto in cui gli interessi pubblici sono sottorappresentati
L’estate sta arrivando, ma i problemi di movimento non finiscono con la vaccinazione
EURONEWS – Con l’avvicinarsi dell’estate e l’aumento delle vaccinazioni, la Commissione europea afferma di volere che gli Stati membri eliminino ulteriormente le restrizioni ai viaggi all’interno del continente.
Faciliter les déplacements pour cet été dans l’Union européenne
EURONEWS – Accélérer la levée des restrictions de déplacement entre les Etats membres. C’est le souhait de la Commission européenne à l’approche des vacances d’été.
EU leaders discuss repercussions for Belarus after Ryanair ‘hijack’
CNBC – Outraged European leaders are gathering in Brussels on Monday to discuss how to punish Belarusian authorities, after the forced landing of a Ryanair flight and subsequent arrest of a journalist on board.
The EU wants its citizens to shape its future. And fend off a euroskeptic surge
CNBC – The EU launched Sunday the Conference on the Future of Europe.
Anti-EU lawmakers strengthened their support following the sovereign debt and migration crises of the last decade.
Pourquoi il faut suivre la Conférence sur l’avenir de l’Europe
LE GRAND CONTINENT – Il est facile et tentant de disqualifier d’office la Conférence sur l’avenir de l’Europe, en la considérant comme un énième gadget bruxellois. Pourtant, elle pourrait bien être porteuse de réels changements, tant par sa méthodologie audacieuse que par son cahier des charges.
A Europa para a Escócia
PUBLICO – Somos europeus de todo o continente e de todo o mundo. Queremos que o povo da Escócia saiba que os europeus, onde quer que se encontrem, terão todo o gosto em os receber outra vez como membros da União Europeia se esse ainda for o seu desejo democrático.
Coronavirus: tirs croisés sur le certificat vert européen pour voyager
LE SOIR – Alors que les Européens se demandent à quelle sauce ils vont être traités aux frontières cet été, nombreux sont les détracteurs de la proposition de certificat vert européen.
La Superlega riunisce l’Europa (brexiteer compresi)
IL FOGLIO – L’exit dall’Uefa ha provocato una cosa inedita nella storia recente dell’Europa: tutto lo spettro politico si è unito in difesa dell’establisment calcistico.
Un social “libero” per discutere il futuro dell’Ue.
EDITORIALE DOMANI – La piattaforma digitale per la Conferenza sul futuro dell’Europa rappresenta un tentativo inedito di confronto paneuropeo. Ma non basta raccogliere spunti, il punto è trasformarli in decisioni, ed è su questo che si gioca la riuscita del progetto: chi trarrà la sintesi e in che modo?
Niebezpieczne iluzje „paszportu szczepionkowego”
KRYTYKAPOLITYCZNA – Unia rozważa wprowadzenie tzw. paszportu szczepionkowego. W założeniu ma on ułatwić otwieranie granic i powrót do „normalności”. W praktyce będzie kolejnym mechanizmem profilowania i ekonomicznego wykluczenia, bo szczepienie na COVID-19 wciąż jest w Unii przywilejem.
Djebbari et les guerres d’ego — Amazon tranquille — Sapin 2 Noël
POLITICO PARIS Influence – Les manœuvres du gouvernement pour épargner Amazon. Couac de la nouvelle Agence de l’Innovation pour les Transports:Bercy accuse Jean-Baptiste Djebbari de la jouer solo. Entretien avec Guillaume Courty, universitaire qui dézingue sur la loi Sapin 2.
Le “Sofagate” secoue toujours les institutions européennes
EURONEWS – Un incident diplomatique en passe de devenir une crise interne de l’UE. Les secousses du “Sofagate”, le camouflet protocolaire infligé à la présidente de la Commission européenne à Ankara la semaine dernière, se font toujours à ressentir à Bruxelles.
Green wave — Vaccine comms lessons — New pesticides regime
POLITICO EU Influence – For the Brussels influence industry, AstraZeneca’s tarnished reputation is a cautionary tale — and a new client pitch.
“Ha partecipato a un evento lobbistico sui vaccini senza l’ok della corte Ue”. Pitruzzella lascia l’incarico all’Aspen Institute
IL FATTO QUOTIDIANO – Ha lasciato la vicepresidenza dell’Aspen Institute Italia dopo aver partecipato a un dibattito con Farmindustria. Oggetto del dibattito: i brevetti dei vaccini.
Le pressioni della società civile costringono Pitruzzella a dimettersi da Aspen
EDITORIALE DOMANI – Giovanni Pitruzzella, avvocato generale della Corte di giustizia europea, aveva preso parte a un incontro sui brevetti dei vaccini con Farmindustria. L’evento era organizzato da Aspen Institute Italia di cui era vicepresidente. La segnalazione di due ong al presidente della Corte ha avuto effetto.
C’è posta per la Corte Ue. Il caso Aspen allarma le ong.
EDITORIALE DOMANI – Giovanni Pitruzzella, membro della Corte di giustizia europea, era all’evento con Farmindustria di cui Domani ha scritto, ed è anche vicepresidente di Aspen Institute Italia. The Good Lobby e Corporate Europe Observatory hanno scritto una lettera per segnalare la questione al presidente della Corte.
Apel do Komisji Europejskiej: Brońcie polskich sędziów!
WYBORCZA – “Doszliśmy do etapu, w którym niezależnym sędziom grozi się zarzutami karnymi i wykorzystaniem środków przymusu za próby stosowania prawa Unii i orzeczeń Trybunału Sprawiedliwości” – piszą w liście otwartym do Komisji Europejskiej przedstawiciele polskich organizacji pozarządowych i akademicy z całej Europy.
La negoziatrice Ue sui vaccini ammette l’incontro con le lobby, ma soltanto a metà
EDITORIALE DOMANI – Sandra Gallina partecipa a una tavola rotonda con Farmindustria in cui si discute di brevetti dei vaccini. Prima il suo staff nega, poi non risponde.
Child rights — Transparency during corona — German side jobs scandal
POLITICO EU Influence – The Commission is expected to present a new EU strategy on the rights of the child next week, along with a proposal for a Council recommendation on a European child guarantee.
Sei domande sul passaporto vaccinale
INTERNAZIONALE – Tedeschi in Spagna, olandesi in Grecia e francesi in Italia? Una cartolina del “mondo di prima” che potrebbe tornare d’attualità quest’estate se i paesi europei si metteranno d’accordo sulle condizioni di entrata nei loro territori.
The dangerous illusions of an EU ‘vaccine passport’
OPEN DEMOCRACY – Is the push for a vaccine certificate driven by an economic desire to boost travel and tourism rather than the safety of all Europeans?
Carte blanche: Manifeste pour une assemblée citoyenne européenne
LE SOIR – Le déficit démocratique de l’UE affaiblit non seulement sa légitimité mais aussi la capacité des États membres à relever les grands défis d’aujourd’hui. Les auteurs de ce texte réclament d’urgence une réforme institutionnelle ambitieuse pour l’Europe de demain.
Europe facing ‘uphill battle’ with Covid vaccines as Italy blocks AstraZeneca shipment
CNBC – Europe’s coronavirus vaccine rollout has been thrust into the spotlight once again after the Italian government blocked a shipment of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines to Australia.
Covid-19 : six questions sur le passeport sanitaire
LE MONDE – Emmanuel Macron a détaillé le calendrier de la levée des restrictions en France, dans lequel le passe sanitaire est mentionné à plusieurs reprises.
Will COVID-19 spark reform of the EU’s borderless Schengen Area?
EURONEWS – Several EU countries are moving to reinstate border checks and travel restrictions over a troubling surge in coronavirus variants.
Faudra-t-il un passeport vaccinal pour pouvoir voyager en Europe cet été ?
LE PARISIEN – La Commission européenne va proposer un dispositif permettant de justifier si l’on a été vacciné ou si l’on dispose d’un test négatif afin de se déplacer plus librement d’un pays à un autre. Mais le chemin est encore long avant une éventuelle mise en place.
El valor político del técnico Draghi
EL PAÍS – El nombramiento de del técnico y alto funcionario italiano, merece ser entendida a partir del espíritu de la Constitución como una expresión puramente política.
¿Podría Draghi descompensar la balanza de poder de la Unión Europea?
LA VANGUARDIA – En Bruselas, como en tantos otros rincones de Europa, el nombre de Mario Draghi evoca una frase, “haré lo que sea necesario para preservar el euro”, que marcó un punto de inflexión en la crisis de la moneda única y contribuyó a alimentar el capital político de “SuperMario” en los círculos comunitarios.
La vocation politique de Mario Draghi
LE GRAND CONTINENT – La nomination de Draghi, le technique et grand commis, mérite d’être comprise comme une expression purement politique.
Covid-19: L’UE divisée sur le passeport vaccinal
LA LIBÉRATION – Certains pays membres, comme le Danemark, programment déjà la mise en place d’un pass pour les personnes vaccinées contre le Covid-19. D’autres redoutent les inégalités que cela pourrait engendrer alors que les campagnes de vaccination sont loin d’être terminées.
Facing up to the demands of post-Brexit business travel
Financial Times – Working trips between the EU and UK will still be possible — but with more planning and paperwork.
Los choques con Londres y AstraZeneca socavan la credibilidad de Von der Leyen en plena crisis
EL PAÍS – La Comisión Europea destaca las numerosas iniciativas adoptadas en un solo año y atribuye los posibles errores al ritmo trepidante de los últimos meses.
Amid vaccines row, EU adopts regulation to control export of COVID-19 jabs
EURONEWS – The European Commission has adopted a regulation to control the export of coronavirus vaccines manufactured in the EU, amid a row with vaccine manufacturer AstraZeneca, and warnings of a brewing vaccine war with the UK.
Letter: Set up common travel areas on UK-Ireland model
The loss of the freedom to settle, work and travel on the continent has smashed the amount of rights associated with UK citizenship.
Le passeport vaccinal européen, une idée au mieux prématurée, au pire irréfléchie
LE MONDE – Plutôt qu’un certificat de vaccination, les institutions européennes devraient mettre l’accent sur la distribution équitable des vaccins et conjurer l’émergence d’un marché noir.
Après le Brexit, le statut de citoyen britannique en Europe est équivalent à celui du touriste chinois
Le 31 décembre 2020, 67 millions de ressortissants britanniques ont perdu le droit de s’installer et de travailler au sein de l’UE et dans d’autres pays. De la même façon, les citoyens de l’UE ont perdu ces droits sur les territoires du Royaume-Uni. C’est la plus grande perte de droits dont on se souvienne.
Perché è sbagliato introdurre il passaporto vaccinale in Europa
LA REPUBBLICA – Invece di unire i Paesi riducendo le limitazioni agli spostamenti, il documento sanitario creerebbe nuove frontiere fra le persone schedate come sicure e quelle non sicure.
The future of Europe will be institutionalised
Financial Times – EU’s planned Conference on the Future of Europe delayed over who should run it
Covid-19 Vaccine Passports Are a Ticket to Nowhere
BLOOMBERG – Gloomy visions of an inoculated elite lording it over everyone else won’t get needles in arms any faster.
L’idée d’un certificat européen de vaccination sur la table des discussions
FINANCIAL TIMES – Budget stand-off over rule of law ends in neither victory nor defeat for Hungary and Poland.
Merkel, la europeísta conversa
FINANCIAL TIMES – Budget stand-off over rule of law ends in neither victory nor defeat for Hungary and Poland.
Commission to revamp campaigning rules after von der Leyen video storm
POLITICO – EU chief’s participation in a Croatian election campaign video sparked criticism.
Italy’s government could soon collapse over a dispute about EU funds
CNBC – The latest political dispute is coming at a particularly painful moment.
RevDem Podcast with Alberto Alemanno on the Future of Europe
RevDem – RevDem editor Michal Matlak interviews with Professor Alberto Alemanno (HEC, Paris) and the founder of Good Lobby about the upcoming Conference on the Future of Europe.
Future of Europe conference: one year on standby
EU OBSERVER – The troubled Conference on the Future of Europe, intended to reconnect the European project with its citizens, remains in deadlock due to an ongoing institutional dispute over who will chair it.
Numérique: une intense campagne de lobbying à Bruxelles
LE FIGARO – Face au Digital Services Act et au Digital Markets Act, la mobilisation des lobbyistes du secteur était prévisible et attendue. Mais certaines méthodes ont choqué.
EU still lacks a ‘silver bullet’ for bringing autocrats to heel
FINANCIAL TIMES – Budget stand-off over rule of law ends in neither victory nor defeat for Hungary and Poland.
Věra Jourová, Europe’s ‘lonesome sheriff’
POLITICO – Under fire in battles over EU values, Commission VP shoots from the lip.
All eyes on EU court for decision on religious slaughter
EU OBSERVER – Stunning animals before slaughter and avoiding unnecessary suffering is surely the least we owe these fellow sentient beings.
Citizen Participation in Democratic Europe: What Next for the EU?
As the European Union undergoes a major, self-proclaimed democratic exercise – the Conference on the
EU summit: Budget stalemate continues but Hungary not united in opposition to EU’s rule of law
EURONEWS – Leaders gathered remotely to discuss the desperately needed coronavirus recovery fund and budget.
Can the EU Commission scrap its CAP plan?
EURACTIV – The European Commission’s threat to withdraw its legislative proposal for the post-2020 EU’s farming subsidies programme has irritated EU lawmakers. EURACTIV.com asked some legal experts to clear the air about the controversy.
Podcast serie: Citizen Lobbyist – Episode 7
Together with Fiorela Lavorgna and my The Good Lobby crew, we created a show that
Deal reached to link EU funding to respect for rule of law
EURONEWS – A deal has been reached that would give Brussels the green light to cut EU funding to member countries over rule of law issues.
Lobbying for Change: Find Your Voice to Create a Better Society
Many democratic societies are experiencing a crisis of faith. Citizens are making clear their frustration
Better business regulation in a risk society
The premise of this volume is that business regulations are expected to grow in the
Foundations of EU Food Law and Policy: Ten Years of the European Food Safety Authority
This volume presents the viewpoints of academics, food lawyers, industry and consumer representatives as well
Italy’s Election Was Quite Traditional, Actually
BLOOMBERG – The Italian election was heartening for populist forces. Yet the results do not break with a venerable Italian tradition — one that political scientist Giuseppe di Palma described in “Surviving without Governing: The Italian Parties in Parliament.” Those who are suddenly overcome with anxiety for Italy and Europe might find solace in its pages.
MEPs slam EU rule of law measures as ‘ill-equipped and ineffective’
EURONEWS – From judicial independence in Poland to media freedom in Hungary, violations around the rule of law have been the most contentious of EU issues.
Empowerment through Lobbying
ECHO CHAMBER CLUB – In this podcast interview from May 2017, I speak about what actually brought me to write Lobbying for Change and which ideas I would lobby for to go about inequality.
Macron’s many challenges ahead
1989 GENERATION INITIATIVE PODCAT – Following the French elections, we brought together 89ers and expert guest Alberto Alemanno to discuss the outcome, the challenges ahead for Macron, and the how the formerly dominant parties, the Parti Socialiste and Les Républicains, might recover.
EU representatives and voters without borders
EURACTIV – Almost 30 years after the first transnational European party was formed, the European Parliament has proposed that in the 2024 European elections, all voters should be able to vote, in addition to their national representatives, for a second set of representatives, elected in a single European college.
Regulating Lifestyle Risks: The EU, Alcohol, Tobacco and Unhealthy Diets
This collection of essays looks at the role the European Union could and should play
The New Intellectual Property of Health Beyond Plain Packaging
This timely book provides the first legal and policy analysis of the intellectual property (IP)
Affaire Phil Hogan: l’occasion de définir une responsabilité politique européenne
LE MONDE – La démission du commissaire irlandais sous la pression de la présidence de la Commission crée un précédent en faveur d’une autonomisation de l’examen éthique de la politique européenne, analysent les juristes Alberto Alemanno et Benjamin Bodson dans une tribune au « Monde ».
Electors or Lobbyists? The Role of Citizens in an Indecipherable Union
Although citizens have returned to have faith in the European project, this does not seem
With Phil Hogan’s departure, Ursula von der Leyen bets on ethics
POLITICO – Irishman’s exit shows the Commission president won’t tolerate the impression that her top team can act with impunity.
A Bruxelles, l’émergence de lobbyistes « éthiques »
LE MONDE – Aux yeux de ces influenceurs qui se revendiquent « durables », le lobbying est un moyen d’expression légitime mais qui doit être rééquilibré au profit de voix qui pèsent moins dans le processus législatif, comme les ONG.
How Hogan’s resignation presents Von der Leyen with a fresh headache
EURONEWS – “This certainly will become a headache for Von der Leyen and the new [European] Commission because this will lead to a reshuffle of her college – this is very likely.” Alberto Alemanno, EU Analyst.
Von der Leyen provoca las iras de socialistas y liberales al tomar partido en unas elecciones nacionales
EL PAÍS – La presidenta de la Comisión podría haber violado la obligación de neutralidad prevista en el código de conducta del organismo.
Von der Leyen admits ‘mistakes’ in Croatian campaign video
POLITICO – European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s soundbite for a Croatian political campaign video lasted all of two seconds. But the repercussions have already lasted much longer and won’t be over anytime soon.
Is COVID-19 philanthropy’s pandora’s box?
ALLIANCE MAGAZINE – The response to COVID-19 has revealed a gap between the rhetoric of philanthropies and the realities of the grantees. It remains to be seen how and by whom that gap will be bridged in a post-COVID-19 world.